Disk players have provided locking a transducer carriage against unintended movement whenever a disk cartridge or other medium is not in a play position in the player. Such locking prevents damage to the transducer carriage during shipment and when the media player is not being used. These locking mechanisms often employed complex or power driven mechanisms, either of which result in higher costs. These prior carriage locks also responded to operation of a cartridge holder for locking or unlocking the transducer carriage against or for movements. Such locking and unlocking mechanisms most often are dependent upon specific types of cartridge loaders-unloaders (also termed cartridge receivers). It is desired to avoid dependency of a carriage lock mechanism upon cartridge holder designs. It is also desired to reduce the costs of automatic transducer carriage locking and unlocking.